Only Human
by Sumire06
Summary: Kaylie gets some news back home that makes her question everything in her life. [two-shot]
1. News

**[Author comments: This is something I had wanted to write after so many other drabbles with Kaylie that had her constantly cheerful and happy-go-lucky. I wanted to write a more serious thing for her, and here it is. Please enjoy~]**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Soul Eater. It is the sole property of Atsushi Okubo, the creator. I only own Kaylie, the plot of this drabble and Kaylie's little sister.**

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_"_Stupid_! You can't just run into a fight like that! You have no idea how to defend yourself against Weapons!"_

_"It's a bit strange that you're not a Weapon or Meister- yet your parents are both. Maybe you're just a late bloomer?"_

Tightening her arms around herself as she walked, Kaylie gritted her teeth with frustration. It seemed no matter where she went, Kaylie would always be reminded of her ordinary blood. Sure, her parents were a Meister-Weapon couple, but was it _so_ terrible that Kaylie was neither? She didn't think it fair that she had to constantly deal with people being shocked that she was normal compared to her mother and father. The redhead didn't think there was anything wrong with being normal- but apparently, lots of other people in the Death City College thought otherwise.

Kaylie stopped in her tracks, raising her head to stare blankly into the fire-red sky, the sun starting to set already. She sighed heavily, her breath puffing out in transparent clouds of air, and turned around to head back to her dorm building. Gidget was probably going to start worrying if the Irish girl didn't get back soon.

However, just as Kaylie was about to pass a small park, her cell phone rang in her pocket, the chipper ringtone muffled through the jacket. Stopping again, Kaylie blinked and dug the phone from her pocket, surprised to see the caller i.d. showcasing her parents' number from Ireland. She flipped the phone open and pressed the answer button, holding it to her ear.

"Hi, Mama," she greeted with a light smile.

"Kay, Kay!" It was April, her younger sister, who spoke on the other end. Kaylie blinked.

"April? Is everythin' alrigh'? Is Mama and Papa okay?" April didn't often call Kaylie; it was normally her parents, who would then give the phone to April.

"Oh, yeah! Ma and Papa are fine! Don' worry 'bout 'em! I called 'cuz I got great news!" Without given even a moment to just ask about the news, April just went on in her usual chatterbox way. "So, I was in class las' week and Matthew started bein' his usual stupid self and causin' trouble fer the teacher, then started goin' at Paulina next t' me! Anyway, I got really miffed at 'im 'cuz he was makin' a scene durin' the lesson-"

"April," Kaylie interrupted with a deep sigh. She missed her little sister, sure, but sometimes she was glad she no longer had to deal with the girl's non-stop talking like this. "Jus' get t' the point, yeah? It's gotta be late over there and I doubt Mama and Papa will like ya stayin' up past curfew."

"-Right! Sorry! Anyway, long story short..." April took a dramatic pause, which Kaylie just rolled her eyes at. "Turns out I got Weapon blood like Mama! I got real bloody mad at Matt an' bef're I knew it, m' arm was suddenly a sword blade!"

Everything in Kaylie froze, mouth going dry and thoughts halting. Her little sister was a Weapon...? That wasn't right- April had never shown signs before of having Weapon blood. She didn't understand; it made no sense. Kaylie's mind returned to working order and her thoughts made a mad dash everywhere in her head, trying to find the calm logic in the situation. But she couldn't find any.

Her little sister was a Weapon, and Kaylie wasn't. Nothing in the world would make sense from that. Why April? Why _her_? Why?! It was bad enough that Kaylie had parents of both blood and she had neither, but now her younger sister had gotten it? It was official- Kaylie was now the freak of her family.

"Sis?" April's voice snapped the redhead back to the present, and Kaylie shook her head a bit, though she knew April couldn't see it.

"Sorry, I was jus'..." Jealous? Shell-shocked? Angry?

"I'm goin' t' be in the DWMA in six months- Mama and Papa gotta get the paperwork goin' an' all that. I'm gonna be close t' ya again, Kay!"

The girl tried a smile, but it felt too forced. "Tha's great news, April..." she murmured half-heartedly. Her sister giggled happily and they said their goodbyes for the night, then Kaylie closed her phone and slipped it back into her jacket pocket, walking once more. Her thoughts were chaotic, remembering the people back in Ireland growing up questioning Kaylie's ability as a Weapon or Meister like her parents; her parents always being approached by kids her age asking about their work as a Meister and Weapon. Now, to add to the fire of her frustrations, thoughts of her sister training as a Weapon in the Academy near her school and getting hurt crept up on her and Kaylie shuddered.

April was too damn young to get into that sort of thing. Kaylie was the older sibling; wasn't it her job to keep her younger sister safe? That had been easier to do when they had both been assumed to be just human. With April and her new-found Weapon blood, there was no way Kaylie would be able to protect her. And that just didn't sit well with the drummer.

Reaching the intersection between the dorm building pathway and the path heading for Professor Stein's place, Kaylie stopped a third time. She looked in the direction of Stein's home and her fists curled tightly in her pockets, her mouth setting into a straight line.

_'If I become a Weapon, I'd be able t' keep a better watch over April when she comes here... I'd be able t' make sure she didn't get hurt...'_ the redhead thought; her eyes flashed with determination. _'An' people would stop thinkin' of me as jus' human in my family_.'

With her mind made up, Kaylie turned toward the path heading for Stein's place and began marching. It was the only solution to everything wrong in her life- her parents would have both children with their abilities, people would stop looking down on her for not being a Weapon or Meister in a school full of both, and she'd finally be the proper older sister April deserved.


	2. For Now

**[Author comments: Not much to say about this. So enjoy the last part~]**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Soul Eater or Professor Stein. They both belong to Atsushi Okubo, the creator. I only own the plot of this drabble and Kaylie.**

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She knocked on the door, making sure to make it loud enough for the teacher to hear it. A minute or two later, the door opened and Kaylie was face-to-chest with the DWMA professor, Franken Stien. He looked surprised to see her, and even more so because of her determined expression.

"You're Gidget's friend, aren't you? Kaylie, right?" Stein said after a moment, "What brings you to my place? Is everything okay?"

"Professor, I need yer help," Kaylie told him, though winced inwardly at how her tone came across more desperate than she intended. The man blinked, as though trying to figure out her intentions, then moved to the side to allow Kaylie into his place. She stepped inside and he closed the door behind him.

"What do you need my help with?" Stein questioned, gesturing to the redhead to follow him to the couch, where they sat across from one another. He removed his cigarette to exhale a breath of smoke, then replaced it into his mouth, looking curiously at Kaylie, who looked back, expression still fierce.

"I wan' ya t' make me into a Weapon."

The statement was followed by a long stretch of silence; clearly, Stein had been taken aback by the request. Finally, though, the professor leaned back in his seat, arms crossing a bit. Kaylie didn't once tear her eyes off him.

"Is there any particular reason you want that?" Stein asked, but she didn't reply. Sighing softly, Stein leaned forward and a hand raised to twist the screw in his head a few times. "I can't say I get why you're suddenly wanting to become a Weapon, but unless you give a reason, I can't exactly even think about it."

"B'cause-" Kaylie squeezed her eyes tightly, hands curling into fists once more. She lowered her head until her face was partly hidden by her hair. " 'm just a useless, stupid human...! I can't do nothin' for anyone an' I jus' get in th' way...! Th' only way fer me t' be helpful an' a good sister, I gotta be a Weapon, Professor!"

"I'm not sure what you're talking about with the good sister bit," the male commented, "but I'm afraid I have to refuse your request, Kaylie."

Kaylie raised her head abruptly at his words, green eyes losing their glint. "W-what? But why?!" she exclaimed, nearly standing in her desperation. Stein looked her straight in the eye.

"Don't get me wrong- I'm rather curious about what makes you tick, coming from a family of Weapons and Meisters but being neither yourself," he told her casually, once again cranking his screw. "But things could go wrong and while I would do anything in the name of science and dissecting..." He stopped cranking the screw and his gaze shifted to the side. "... I'm sure Gidget would get very mad at us." Stein stood from the couch and raised a hand slightly to Kaylie. "Sorry I can't help you, but if you have anything else you need help with, don't hesitate to ask." He turned to walk into his back room, only to be stopped by the girl.

"It's _my_ body, ain't it?!" she all but shouted to him, standing as well now. "I should be able t' do whatever I wan' with it!" Stein remained standing where he was, back facing Kaylie. She went on. "I'm so sick an' tired'a people tellin' me I'm the odd one in my family jus' because I don' have Weapon or Meister blood like m' parents! Even my _little sister_ has it! How'm I s'pposed t' deal with tha'?! Not t' mention how I can' even defend m'self in a fight an' gotta have Gidget 'r someone else helpin' me! I don' wanna be a freak anymore! I don' wanna be jus' a lousy human! I want t' help people an' th' only way I c'n do tha' is t' become a Weapon!"

Partly out of breath from her outburst, Kaylie just stood there, watching Stein for any sign from him of agreement. It took a few minutes, but the man finally moved; he tilted his head to the side a bit and let out a soft hum, twisting the screw in his head as he did. Kaylie just stared, the squeaking of the screw beginning to irritate her. She understood why Stein wouldn't want to turn her into a Weapon, since Gidget _would_ be rather upset. But as much as Kaylie loved her best friend, she also felt this was the only way for things to go right for her.

"Hmm. You're sure that you _have_ to be a Weapon? I think it'd be best if you didn't change." The teacher's reply startled Kaylie out of her thoughts, green eyes trained on Stein's back.

"Wha- Of course I gotta be a Weapon...! Didn't ya hear a word'a what I jus' said? Unless I'm a Weapon, I'm jus' gonna keep bein' a burden on everyone an' I won't be able t' help April like I should!"

"Who said you were a burden?" Stein's question came with surprise and he glanced behind his shoulder to his niece's friend, watching her with curiosity as she hesitated and looked down at her feet.

"W-well.. no one, but... Tha's not th' point," Kaylie muttered, frowning.

"Kaylie. You're fine the way you are," the professor stated in a cool tone. "If you were supposed to be a Weapon, you would have been born that way. But you weren't. So you're perfect how you are- don't let other people's judgments about you change your view of yourself. Your friends are your friends because you're who you are now. You're not a freak and you're not a useless human. You're just you; that should be good enough."

The silence that followed was tense, yet not so much that Kaylie was unable to comprehend what Stein had told her. She bit her lower lip and continued to stare at the floor. She supposed the man was right- she was the way she was for a reason. But still... With most of her friends being Weapons and Meisters, Kaylie felt like the odd one out; the one who needed constant protecting. She didn't want that feeling anymore.

"I might not be able to do what you want, Kaylie, but I also can't make you change your mind on your choice. I won't make you into a Weapon, as much as I'd love to slice into that nice skin of yours- but I won't. So you'll have to make do with that. I'm sorry."

With that said, the silver-haired man went into his back room, and Kaylie just stood in the living room for another minute. Then she sighed heavily and spun on her heel to head for the front door. So much for Professor Stein helping her.

The redhead opened the door and headed out, shivering a bit at the cold air that hit her warm face. She made her way down the path that would take her to the intersection and to the dorm building path, thinking over Stein's words in her mind.

_'I'm fine th' way I am, huh...? I wish someone had told me tha' earlier, cuz I don' _feel_ it...'_ But she supposed she'd just deal with it for now; think about it a bit more and try Stein again down the road. Maybe he'd change his mind then... For now, Kaylie would have to deal with being a plain, ordinary human, and she guessed that was okay. For now.


End file.
